Their-Eyes-Were-Watching-God-rmrju9

52 OAP Zora Neale Hurston"Whut fuh, Sam?""Mighty serious matter, man. Serious!!""Yeah man," Lige would cut in, dolefully. "It needs yo' strictattention. You ought not tuh lose no time.""Whut is it then? You oughta hurry up and tell me.""Reckon we better not tell yuh heah at de store. It's too fur offtuh do any good. We better all walk on down by Lake Sabelia.""Whut's wrong, man? Ah ain't after none uh y'alls foolishnessnow""Dat mule uh yourn, Matt. You better go see 'bout him. He'sbad off.""Where 'bouts? Did he wade in de lake and uh alligatorketch him?""Worser'n dat. De womenfolks got yo' mule. When Ah comeround de lake 'bout noontime mah wife and some others had 'imflat on de ground usin' his sides fuh uh wash board."The great clap of laughter that they have been holding in,bursts out. Sam never cracks a smile. "Yeah, Matt, dat mule soskinny till de women is usin' his rib bones fuh uh rub-board, andhangin' things out on his hock-bones tuh dry."Matt realizes that they have tricked him again and the laughtermakes him mad and when he gets mad he stammers."You'se uh stinkin' lie, Sam, and yo' feet ain't mates. Y-y-y-you!""Aw, man, 'tain't no use in you gittin' mad. Yuh know yuhdon't feed de mule. How he gointuh git fat?""Ah-ah-ah d-d-does feed 'im! Ah g-g-gived 'im uh full cupuh cawn every feedin'.""Lige knows all about dat cup uh cawn. He hid round yo'barn and watched yuh. 'Tain't no feed cup you measures datcawn outa. It's uh tea cup.""Ah does feed 'im. He's jus' too mean tuh git fat. He staypoor and rawbony jus' fuh spite. Skeered he'll hafta work some."